Hide-wringing apparatus



Filed Aug. 20, 1965 1 L. SCHWALLER 1 3,349,583

HIDE-WRINGING APPARATUS Oct. 31; 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet '1 INVENTOR. LANDO SCHWALLER Filed Aug. 20, 1965 HIDE-WRING ING APPARATUS INVENTOR; LANDO SCHWALLER Kai/6&5 I

2 Sheets-Sheet United States Patent 3,349,583 I-IIDE-WRINGING APPARATUS Lando Schwaller, Sheboygan, Wis., assignor to Armour and Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 481,324 8 Claims. (Cl. 69-43) This invention relates to hide-wringing, and more particularly to apparatus in which a hide is wrung from the central portion thereof toward the end portions in successive operations.

In present-day hide-wringing apparatus, it is customary to pass the hide in two hydraulic wringing machines of the type shown in US. Patent 2,586,879, the hide being fed manually between wringer rolls for one-half or threequarters of its length and then the hide is wrung with the hide being moved toward the operator. The hide may then be reversed and fed into the same or a second machine and the unwrung portion of the hide passed between the rolls to complete the wringing operation. By wringing the hide from the central portion toward the ends in two operations of this type, best results are obtained.

I have discovered that through the use of automatic mechanism it is possible for a single operator to control the operation of two wringer machines in tandem, thus not only saving time and labor, but also providing for more accurate and complete wringing of the hides.

A primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide novel apparatus by which two wringer machines in tandem can be controlled by a single operator for completing the wringing of hides. A further object is to provide apparatus for automatically completing the wringing of a partially wrung hide in a second machine by the use of automatic control means. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown, in illustrative embodiments, by the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of machines arranged in tandem and incorporating my invention; FIG. 2, a schematic view illustrating the operation of the first machine, the wringing rolls being shown in open position; FIG. 3, a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the wringing rolls in closed position; FIG. 4, a schematic view of the conveyor apparatus and main operating parts employed in the second wringing machine, the wringing rolls being shown in open position; and FIG. 5, a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the wringing rolls in closed position.

In the illustration given best in FIG. 1, designates a first wringer machine provided with a driven upper roll 11 supported upon the plunger 12 of a hydraulic cylinder 13 for vertical movement of the roll 11. A lower roll 14, which is preferably provided with a felt sleeve, is supported upon a pivotally-mounted lever 15 for swinging movement rearwardly to open position and forwardly below upper roll 11 to closed position. A hydraulic cylinder 16 is provided for swinging the lever arm 15 to the open and closed positions. If desired, the lever 15 may be provided below the lower roll 14 with a rubber roll 17, as shown best in FIG. 2. Further, if desired, a driven bladed roller 18 may be provided for rotating in a counter-clockwise direction to set out hide 19 during the wringing operation. Since all of the foregoing structure is wellknown, a further detailed description herein is believed unnecessary.

An upwardly-inclined conveyor 20 is provided between the first machine 10 and a second wringer machine 21. In the specific illustration given, the conveyor 20 comprises two conveyor segments 20a and 205, and the two segments carry the hide 19 in reversed position to the second wringer, which will now be described.

The second wringer 21 is similar to wringer 10 in that it has a similar upper roll 22 and a lower feltcovered roll 23 carried by a lever arm 24. The upper roll is actuated by the plunger of a hydraulic cylinder 25, and the lever arm 24 is actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 26. If desired, the lever arm 24 may likewise be provided with a rubber roll 27 in line with the lower roll 23, and in this construction the lower roll 23 and the rubber roll 27 are carried by shafts which are connected to each other by sprockets and chains (not shown) so that the driving of the lower roll 23 also drives the rubber roll 27. As shown best in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, I provide unique means for driving the lower roll 23 and thereby the rubber roll 27. The shaft of roll 23 is provided at one end with a pulley sheave 28 having grooves meshing with three belts 29 carried by pulleys 30, 31 and 32. One of the pulleys 30, is constantly driven so that, when the parts are in the position shown in FIG. 4, the friction between the belts 29 and the sheave 28 of the lower roll 23 brings about a rotation of the roll 23 in a clockwise direction so as to feed the hide 19 in a forward direction. The rubber roll 27 operating below felt roll 23 carries the delivered area of the hide piece 19 into the machine in a laid-out condition.

Above the conveyor segment 20b is supported a microswitch 33, provided with finger type levers 34 which, when raised by the passage of a hide beneath them, actuate the microswitch. The microswitch, in turn, actuates an electric timer 35 which measures the time length of the hide piece 19 to be conveyed into the second wringer. The electric timer, which may be, for example, a Bellows Bel-Vair Electric Timer, is of well known construction and need not be described herein in detail. The tripping of the microswitch by contact with the hide begins a time in function of the electric timer which measures the time length of the piece to be conveyed into the wringer 21. Such a time length is determined by the operator of the first machine at the start of the lots run, and he sets the time in accordingly. At the end of the time in function, the machine is closed by the automatic activation of the hydraulic cylinder 26. The electric timer also measures the time length that the piece is to be wrung, and at the end of the time out, the machine is opened automatically by the timer by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 26.

The open and closed positions of the upper and lower rolls 22 and 23 are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and in FIG. 5 the driven bladed cylinder 18a moving in a counterclockwise direction is effective in setting out the hide as it is being wrung. The hide, as it is moved outwardly to complete the wringing, is engaged by deflector pan 36 and the hide is carried away on conveyor 37 for subsequent operations.

In practice, the hide 19 is fed into the second machine 21 for about three-fourths of its length and, upon the closing of the rolls, as shown in FIG. 5, the hide is wrung 'for this length and discharged downwardly upon deflector pan 36 and thence onto take-away conveyor 37.

It will be noted that in FIG. 4 the lower roll 23 rotates in a clockwise direction so as to feed the hide 19 into the machine for the desired length and until the electric timer operates the hydraulic cylinder 26 and swings the lever 24 to the forward position shown in FIG. 5. Such forward movement of the lever arm 24 removes the sheave 28 from engagement with the belts 29and the roll 23 is thus freed from contact with the belts 29 and rotates with the upper roll 23 in a counterclockwise direction, thus feeding the hide forwardly and completing the wringing of the hide.

Operation Summarizing the operation of the tandem machines,

and as shown best in FIGS. 2-5, the hide 19 is fed into the first machine manually by an operator over the lower roll 14 and until about three-fourths of the hide is within the machine and more than one-half of the hide is between the rolls 11 and 14. A pan a may be provided to prevent the hide from touching the conveyor 20. The piston 12 holds the top felt r01 11 up until the lower felt roll 14 has been swung inwardly to bring the roll 14 into the position shown in FIG. 3. When the roll 11 is moved downwardly against the lower roll 14, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower roll 14 is caused to move in a counterclockwise direction and the hide 19 between the two rolls is fed downwardly onto conveyor 20 and is reversed in position on conveyor 20, as shown in FIG. 3. In the wringing operation shown in FIG. 3, the pressure of piston 12 on roll 11 wrings the hide as it passes out of the machine and the bladed roll 18, which is driven in a counterclockwise direction, sets out the hide 19 as it passes between felt roll 14, rubber roll 17, and setting out roll 18.

Conveyor 20 carries the hide in reversed position upwardly toward the second wringer 21 and the sensing fingers 34 of the switch 33 initiate the timing cycle for closing the machine. The constantly driven V-belts 29 in engagement with the sheave 28 of lower roll 23 rotate lower roll 23 in a clockwise direction and the same action also rotates rubber roll 27 in the same direction, thus feeding the hide into the open machine. At the expiration of the timing cycle, the electric timer 35, which has been pre-set to close the machine after a predetermined length of hide has been fed into the machine, actuates hydraulic cylinder 26 to move the lever arm 24 to the position shown in FIG. 5. Sheave 28 disengages the V-belts 29 and the roll 23 is free to operate in a clockwise direction as it meets the driven upper roll 22. The hide is fed out of the machine between the two wringing rolls and is directed by the deflector pan 36 onto the take-away conveyor 37. At the end of the time out function, the machine is automatically opened by hydraulic cylinder 26 by the action of the electric timer.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the operation of the second wringer 21 is fully automatic after the initial setting of the time in and time out electric timer by the operator on the first wringer, and skins may be fed successively and rapidly through the two machines by a single operator to bring about the complete wringing of each hide.

While, in the foregoing specification, I have set out a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be understood that such detail or details may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing 'from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for wringing hides, a first wringer and a second wringer arranged in tandem, each of said wringers being provided with a pair of vertically arranged wringing rolls movable relatively toward each other to open and closed positions with a lateral displacement of movement, a conveyor for carrying a hide from the first wringer to the second wringer, a timer control switch-actuating finger means supported for engagement with the hide on said conveyor for actuating said timer control, means actuated by said timer control for closing said rolls of said second wringer to wring the hide, and means actuated by said timer control for opening said rolls of said second wringer after a predetermined time to receive another hide.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the wringing rolls of said second wringer comprise an upper and a lower roll when in the open position, and friction means for rotating said lower roll, said friction means being disengaged when said lower roll is moved into wringing position with respect to the upper roll.

3. In apparatus for wringing hides, a first wringer and a second wringer arranged in tandem, each of said wringers being provided with a frame, a lever arm pivotably mounted on said frame, a vertically movable upper roll and a lower roll carried by said lever arm for movement with a lateral component of movement into position below said upper roll, a conveyor for carrying a hide from the first wringer to the second wringer, a switch mounted adjacent said conveyor, swing actuated finger means on said switch mounted for engagement with the hide on said conveyor, a timer control arranged for actuation by said switch, friction belt and sheave means for rotating the lower roll of said second wringer when in open position only for feeding a hide over said roll, means actuated by said timer control for closing said rolls of said second wringer to wring the hide, and means actuated by said timer control for opening said rolls of said second wringer after a predetermined time.

4. The structure of claim 3 including a sheave mounted on said lower roll of said second wringer, constantly driven belt means, said sheave, in the open position, engaging said constantly driven belt means and in which the lever arm disengages said sheave from said belt means when said lower roll is swung into a position aligned with said upper roll.

5. In wringer apparatus, a frame support, an upper roll mounted for rotation and suspended by the piston of a hydraulic cylinder, a lever arm pivotally mounted in said frame, a lower roll mounted on said lever arm whereby said lower roll may be moved outwardly a spaced distance from the upper roll and also into a position below said upper roll, driven belts mounted on said frame, a sheave carried by said lower roll and means moving said lever arm to cause said sheave to frictionally engage, said belt means when swung outwardly from said upper roll, and release said sheave from engagement with said belt means when said lower roll is swung inwardly below said upper roll.

6. The structure of claim 5 including a second roll mounted on said lever arm below said lower roll, and means for rotating said last-mentioned roll and said lower roll in unison.

7. In hide-wringing apparatus, a wringer equipped with upper and lower wringing rolls and lever arm means for separating the rolls with a lateral component of movement, power means for moving the rolls to open position and to closed position, a conveyor for feeding a hide to said lower roll, an electric timing control, and switch means provided with sensing fingers engaging a hide on said conveyor for actuating said power means for moving said rolls into closed and open positions.

8. The structure of claim 7 including friction driving means which are engaged for rotating said lower roll when in the open position, said friction driving means being disengaged when said lower roll is swung to closed position in engagement with said upper roll.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,869,472 8/ 1932 Freudenberg 69-42 2,356,855 8/1944 Knowlton et al 69-41 2,434,367 1/1948 Moffatt et al. 69-43 2,471,984 5/1949 Stehling 69-42 2,586,879 2/1952 Stehling 69-41 2,669,111 2/1954 Griffin 69-41 2,704,932 3/ 1955 McElvin et al 69-42 X 3,111,894 11/1963 Murray -172 X JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

A. R. GUEST, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN APPARATUS FOR WRINGING HIDES, A FIRST WRINGER AND A SECOND WRINGER ARRANGED IN TANDEM, EACH OF SAID WRINGERS BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAIR OF VERTICALLY ARRANGED WRINGING ROLLS MOVABLE RALATIVELY TOWARD EACH OTHER TO OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS WITH A LATERAL DISPLACEMENT OF MOVEMENT, A CONVEYOR FOR CARRYING A HIDE FROM THE FIRST WRINGER TO THE SECOND WRINGER, A TIMER CONTROL SWITCH-ACTUATING FINGER MEANS SUPPORTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HIDE ON SAID CONVEYOR FOR ACTUATING SAID TIMER CONTROL, MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID TIMER CONTROL FOR CLOSING SAID ROLLS OF SAID SECOND WRINGER TO WRING THE HIDE, AND MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID TIMER CONTROL FOR OPENING SAID ROLLS OF SAID SECOND WRINGER AFTER A PREDETERMINED TIME TO RECEIVE ANOTHER HIDE. 